We spend more time at home during the winter months than any other time of year. With cold weather, and let’s face it, often a lot of rain, wind and occasionally snow, many of us have a natural drive to stay warm and cosy at home, spending more time with our loved ones curled up on the sofa.

You can easily enhance the time that you spend at home during the winter, by making your home feel extra cosy, and where better to start than your living room? Read on to discover our top tips to cosy up your living space…

Conserve the Heat

The key to a living room that feels comfortable and warm during the winter is to put a few measures in place to conserve heat. When you spend lots of time at home, it can be all too easy to overspend on your heating bill. Instead save yourself money by planning ahead. 

Proper insulation in your home is crucial. The most common source of heat loss are your windows. If they fit badly or they’re draughty, it’s worth replacing them with double (or triple) glazed units to help retain the heat, keep those unwanted icy draughts at bay and help reduce condensation and dampness.

Older properties with exposed floorboards can be particularly draughty from below. You have a few options for this problem, you can install modern flooring, but this involves taking the floorboards up and can be expensive and a lot of hard work. You can fill the gaps in the floorboards, or covering the floor with a large rug will instantly deal with the problem.

Checking your boiler and bleeding/servicing radiators before the chill of winter really takes hold can be a great way to make sure your home stays warm too. 

Different Finishes for Different Seasons

Give some thought to year-round options for your living room. You could replace lightweight summer curtains with heavy, luxurious drapes in winter. Think velvets or heavy linens, and go for rich deep colours for this time of year. 

Another great option is to add a thicker, winter rug, more knitted blankets and some super soft oversized cushions.  This is a simple way to update your space for the winter and add that extra cosy feel. Consider a shaggy rug which will feel luxurious and super warm underfoot, introduce a few knitted throws over the arm or back of your sofa, fluffy/shaggy cushions work brilliantly too. 

Create a Glow

In the depths of winter there isn’t much in the way of natural light, so create your own lighting scheme. Layering lighting is the best way to ensure you meet all your needs, enabling you to choose between low-level light for the evening, or bright task lighting for the daytime.  A good ceiling light (preferably with a dimmer) can be paired with task lamps and a few other smaller lamps around the room.

For the ultimate winter warmer, a wood-burning stove will add a warm glow as well as actual warmth. If you don’t have a wood-burning stove you can always use candles enhanced with carefully positioned mirrors and reflective surfaces.

Pair Up Textures

Arguably, almost as important as the room being physically warm is the addition of texture in the room. Choosing to introduce a variety of textures can really enhance how cosy a space feels. For example, you might choose simple cottons and linens for the summer, and velvet and wools for the winter. Go for a mix of throws and cushions in chunky knit, faux-fur and felted fabrics for the ultimate in cosiness. You can also add in wool and silk for a fabulously indulgent and luxurious effect. The key is in the layering.

Bold, Rich and Warm Colours

Using rich and deep paint colours is an effective way to give an impression of warmth. Dark charcoal and navy both look fantastic on walls and work well together, especially when teamed with furnishings in contrasting colours, such as berry shades and mustard yellow. Wooden furniture is also excellent in combination with a dark palette, and both the current mid-century modern and industrial trends look great teamed with rich shades.

Consider investing in a vintage wooden trunk to use as a blanket box. If you’re not keen on redecorating, try introducing darker colours through accessories and soft furnishings instead. A dyed wool rug is a great way to introduce texture, additional insulation and colour without having to rework your whole scheme, plus it will feel cosy and sumptuous underfoot. 

Introduce Luxe Materials

Copper and brass are strong interior trends for this season and work especially well with grey and navy tones. But you can introduce a bit of sparkle with most colour schemes if you go for small highlights such as tealight holders, vases and picture frames. If you want to go further, opt for a wallpaper or curtain fabric with a metallic element in the design. Another great use of metallic materials is on the inside of lampshades as it will cast a warm glow to the surroundings, and even when not lit will still add interest and opulence to the scheme.

Creating the ultimate cosy living space is simple, and will go a long way to enhance the time that you spend relaxing at home. One of the most simple ways to tick most of the boxes is by introducing a large rug to be placed onto your hardwood floor! Bare floorboards work wonderfully in the summer, but for the colder months, add an extra layer to improve insulation and make the room feel extra cosy.

For more tips on home design, check out https://mary-catherinerd.com/category/home-design/